After the walled garden coming to the desktop operating system world, we're currently witnessing another potential nail in the coffin of the relatively open world of desktop and laptop computing. Microsoft has revealed [.pptx] that as part of its Windows 8 logo program, OEMs must implement UEFI secure boot. This could potentially complicate the installation of other operating systems, like Windows 7, XP, and Linux.

Okay, I have a question, if this can be done in a civilized manner. I've no problem with people calling us Americans barbarians and such. It's true, we took this land forcibly from the Native Americans and built it up with slavery, exploiting Chinese workers so and so forth.

That's not what I'm referring to.

What I don't understand is why these lectures come so often from Europeans, when everything we learned about violence and oppression, we learned from them. Millenia of wars, colonialism and brutality towards each other and people across the planet seems to have been forgotten rather quickly.

Oh you won't hear me excuse the Dutch past. We were the worst slave traders, we've done terrible things to the people of Indonesia back when it was our colony, and so on. However, that's not what I'm referring to.

I'm referring to the intense poverty in the US nobody seems to give a shit about as long as the rich few can remain rich. I'm referring to the death penalty. I'm referring to the insanely high homicide, drug abuse, and crime rates. I'm referring to the offensive wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

Let that sink in for a while: your government caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Not 500 years ago, not 100 years ago, not even 60 years ago - but right now. Pointing to the insane things the Dutch have done up until we finally became civilised does not negate this.

I have absolutely zero issues with Americans as a people - quite the opposite in fact. Every American I've ever met - no exceptions - has been nothing but kind and awesome. In fact, I'd rather hang out with the average American than with the average Dutchman. Without a doubt.